Classifying whether Beowulf is an ideal hero or not, one should understand the definition of ideal hero, and then one can make the decision and whether he has any flaws within this understanding . Beowulf identifies many traits to allow the reader to form their own hypothesis about this epic poem. According to the dictionary, "a man of notable courage or skill, admired for his courageous deeds and noble qualities" (dictionary.com?) is the correct guideline for determining whether a character is an ideal hero or not. To begin with, Beowulf displayed many characteristics that suggested appropriate heroic qualities. “He was strong, an exceptional fighter and very loyal to all who were in his presence” (Killenbeck and Orci). When Beowulf had to show up to kill Grendel, he made sure to do so with the utmost care towards the people, their possessions, and Heorot. The people of Heorot, making their determination to defeat Grendel even stronger, invited him to a great banquet before the battle. After defeating the great Grendel, he was praised for his work and this only made Beowulf more loyal to these people of Heorot. Another great heroic aspect of Beowulf was that he "believed that no fighter should have the upper hand" (Killenbeck and Orci). Whatever fighting took place was thought to be as fair as possible. When Beowulf had to fight Grendel he knew that Neeley 2, the dragon, had no extra equipment to increase his chances of victory, so Beowulf did not bring any extra equipment with him and believed: "when it comes to fighting, I consider myself every day as dangerous as Grendel” (Beowulf, line 677-678). Both Grendel and Beowulf believed themselves to be excellent warriors and were ready to prove it. “Venturing closer, his claw was rai… in the center of the card… his inner change , but they still had faith. Beowulf was their ideal hero, and despite his imperfections, they believed in him to the end. Works Cited "Beowulf." Greenblatt, Stephen and M. H. Abrams. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. 34-100. http://dictionary.com .reference.com/browse/soldierKillenbeck, Matt and Rick Orci. "Literary Hero: Beowulf." The My Hero project. Stephanie Cole, July 1, 2004. Web. February 14, 2011. http://myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero/asp?hero=beowulfZaragoza, Dianna. "Beowulf: A Hero for Today?" associated content from yahoo. Dianna Zaragoza, 31 January 2007. Web. 14 February 2011. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/131699/beowulf_a_hero_for_today.htm l?cat=9